h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Interesting article about BMI here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21229387

and the latest proposal to rework the formula so that it's more accurate for taller people. (I say "taller", but I do better under the new version and I'm 5'10", which is hardly gigantic).

It's all rather arbitrary and imprecise, but for most people it's probably not bad as a very rough and ready indicator. But no more than that, and there will be people whose body type just won't "work" using BMI.

The whole exercise (pun intended) is another example
of statistical averaging as a cruel and unreasonable way
of making everybody feel bad because they dont fit
some arbitrary arithmetic standard.
No two people are the same.
Variety is the spice of life.
Viva les differences!

~jwf~

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/airline-to-charge-overweight-passengers-more-20130402-2h495.html

No longer an exercise, it's being introduced.

There's a poll at the bottom of that article, and the (abitrary) results show 85% in favour of paying more.

Orcus has it: the economics of air travel are ridiculous already. (They pay no tax on their fuel, for a start.) Personally, I prefer the comfort and convenience of trains and ferries, and it annoys me that I often have to pay more for this. (It's still worth it, because I don't need to worry about how heavy my rucksack is.)

TRiG.

Pastey linked:
>> No longer an exercise, it's being introduced. <<

Yup, Samoa Airways.

Have you seen any of those Samoa wrestlers?!
Big beggars. Humungus!


~jwf~

I've seen it posted elsewhere - Samoan airlines are disproportionally affected by weight. They typically have four seats per plane and as a matter of course have been weighing their passengers for ages (if not charging them accordingly).

Regardless, this is not the same thing as British airways weighing the masses.

Finally amongst the points I saw in the comments attached to the BBC's article I was delighted so see my point repeated by someone regarding charging short people for getting things of high shelves

>weighing the masses<

Pun not intended, but I like it